Roberto Giurastante, Free Trieste’s spokesperson, addresses the crowd.
Trieste, 13 December 2012. – Yesterday, Hotel Savoia hosted conference “Il futuro è il porto” (The Future is the Port), and Free Trieste summoned a demonstration in front of it to remind the local politicians what this future must be.
Indeed, by law, the international Free Port of Trieste belongs to the Free Territory of Trieste since 1947, and it is bound to port activities.
This means it cannot host Gas Natural’s LNG terminal or lose its Northern sector. Both operations are illegal, even if the local political establishment supports them across the board.
Despite their professed interest in the Port of Trieste, especially when interviewed by local newspaper “Il Piccolo”, during the conference the same politicians called for “on last desperate charge” to the Italian Parliament (!) to have the whole northern sector of the Free Port removed from State property. And again, this would be illegal.
Local politicians dismiss the Northern Free Port as “porto vecchio” or “the old port” because to them old = useless.
Northern Free Port of Trieste, a strategic sector of the international Free Port of Trieste.
Removing the Northern Free Port from State properties is an outright fraud.
Not only the Italian Parliament has no authority over Trieste and its international Free Port (they happen to be independent since 1947) but, if the Italian Parliament were to approve such a measure, it would simultaneously breach Italian and international law.
Indeed, in 1954, under a MOU regarding the Free Territory of Trieste, the Governments of the US and of the UK have sub-entrusted the temporary civil administration of the present-day Free Territory of Trieste to the Italian Government (not to Italy). This role, exercised through a Commissioner, is different from the Italian Government’s role as the Italian State’s elected Government.
Accepting this sub-mandate, the Italian Government committed also to maintain the international Free Port of Trieste (established at art. 34 of the 1947 Italian Peace Treaty) in general accordance with arts. 1 to 20 of Annex VIII of the same Treaty. Those articles define also the Free Port’s extension and free zone regime, providing for its extension, while preventing its reduction.
This means that approving provisions to eliminate the Northern Free Port (a 70 hectares area, no less!) would put into serious question also the exercise of the aforementioned mandate. Furthermore, such a decision would have international consequences as a dangerous, destabilizing precedent.
This is why Free Trieste observes that, despite their claims, the local politicians don’t care about protecting or developing the international Free Port. None of them stands against the attempt to illegally dismiss the 70 hectares Northern Free Port and turn it into an urban area.
Free Trieste however opposes this illegal operation since April [2012] with demonstrations, marches, and international complaints.
It is obvious that Trieste’s future is the international Free Port. However, it is equally clear that Italian politicians aren’t those working for that future.
Newspaper “La Voce di Trieste” published an investigation and analysis about the operation. Read it HERE (in Italian).
Free Trieste holds a sit-in in front of the hotel hosting conference “The future is the Port”.